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The closure of Canadian video game developer BioWare is raising concerns about the future of the gaming industry and what it means for students preparing to enter an increasingly uncertain job market.
According to the Game Developers Conference’s 2026 State of the Game Industry report, 28 per cent of surveyed industry professionals experienced layoffs in the previous two years, while 74 per cent of surveyed students expressed concerns about their future job prospects.
Electronic Arts (EA) announced the closure of the Edmonton-based studio on Oct. 21, ending more than three decades of game development.
“It’s a big indication of what’s happening right now,” said Dr. Kris Alexander, describing BioWare as “such a behemoth.” Alexander is a professor of video game design at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), who says the shutdown reflects broader changes in the industry.
For Isabella Greco, a recent TMU media production graduate with a concentration in video game design, the news was disappointing but not entirely unexpected.
“I wasn’t super shocked. I think that it’s bound to happen with a lot of different studios and sometimes it happens in the most surprising of situations,” Greco said.
Known for popular franchises such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age, BioWare was one of Canada’s most recognizable game developers. Its closure also means the cancellation of the next Mass Effect game.
Founded in Edmonton in 1995, BioWare became internationally recognized for its story-driven role-playing games before being acquired by EA in 2007.
In an Oct. 21 statement, EA outlined plans to focus its resources on fewer major franchises and long-term growth opportunities.
“Across our portfolio, we’re making deliberate choices to align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth,” the company wrote.
When contacted for further comment, EA’s public relations team directed OTR to its published statement rather than answering questions about the closure.
Alexander says corporate ownership and financial expectations are important factors behind the difficulties facing major gaming studios.
“When we’re talking about these closures in the video game industry, I always try to tell my students that we’re specifically looking at share held companies,” he said.
According to Alexander, the influence of shareholders can shape development decisions, with financial expectations sometimes taking priority over creative ambitions.
“Not necessarily crafted for the art form but more for the business side,” he said.
He added that successful studios acquired by larger corporations can eventually face the same financial pressures as their parent companies.
“Some companies got great and then got acquired but now are also falling victim to what’s happening right now,” Alexander said.
The industry’s rapid expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic may also help explain the recent wave of restructuring.
“71 per cent of gaming went up during the pandemic… so there’s a little bit of pullback there as well,” Alexander said.
Greco, who previously served as director of operations for Metropolitan Game Studios, a student-led game development organization at TMU, says the uncertainty extends to graduates searching for employment.
Although Toronto’s gaming community offers networking opportunities, Greco said those connections do not always lead to jobs.
“You have to find the networking that might lead to an opportunity, and that takes a really long time,” she said.
Despite the closures, Alexander remains optimistic about opportunities for students entering game development, pointing to the rise of independent game development, where smaller teams can create and publish games without relying on major publishers.
Greco shares some of that optimism, noting that independent developers are gaining visibility through platforms such as Steam and gaming communities on Twitch.
“I feel like they have a lot of the power when it comes to, like, building popularity for indie developers,” she said, referring to gaming streamers.
Alexander also emphasized that skills learned through game design can be applied to other industries, providing graduates with career opportunities beyond traditional gaming studios.
“So we’ve got students that are building health apps, financial apps and it’s whatever they’re interested in per discipline,” he said.
However, Greco emphasized that aspiring independent developers must also learn skills beyond game creation, including marketing and promotion.
“Even just outside of building a game, you also have to be able to communicate about your game,” she said.
While BioWare’s closure represents a significant loss for Canadian game development, Alexander’s perspective suggests the industry’s future may extend beyond its largest studios.
For students hoping to build careers in gaming, the challenge may be finding opportunities in an industry where creative ambitions increasingly intersect with financial uncertainty.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
